There are more gardens in the United Kingdom than there are gardeners to go round and I know from experience that high powered clients will shop around until they find the right business to look after their garden.
I also know from experience that we might all chase many many jobs at a set hourly rate to try and make those elusive profits but burn cash in the pursuit.
Just stop and think a minute. You do not need to be rushed off of your feet to achieve profit.
What is the going rate for an hours labour now? In 2004 we were charging out a minimum rate of £18.00 per hour plus Vat to supply one hour of our company's time. This was for basic garden labour and the fee went up to £50 per hour for certain services.
Some clients did turn up their noses at this we maintained a very solid client base at these rates.
However, you could treble this rate if you wanted and the client would not turn a hair. The secret is to supply exactly what your client requires and that is a solid dependable service.
The reason I chose this title of this post is because high flying clients, including the likes of the new kid on the motor racing block Lewis Hamilton, who travels a lot and does not have the time or the skills, will require someone to maintain their outdoor space.
I assure you Lewis Hamilton, like many many other successful and wealthy businessmen, sportsmen and celebrities, will pay you above the perceived market value if you promise, in return to supply great service, trust and quality.
I have a particular memory of working for the 52'nd richest person on the Times Rich list back in 1990.
I put in a price to supply two men for three days per week at a cost of £10,000 plus Vat, plus material expenses (a good price I thought at the time but I did not fully understand what it cost me to sell that time).
The following summer the client spent £250,000 on a party for his daughters' wedding on the main lawn at their house.
I received the equivalent of one years contract price in a two week period for our services before and after the party and a further payment equivalent to a years contract price repairing damage caused by the catering and associated services.
The client knew exactly what he wanted and was prepared to pay.
Think About your business plan
Are you leaving horticulture college this summer? Is your business looking for central contracts to determine future growth?
Set out to find the right contract and the rest will fall into place.
Of course, to achieve this success you need to have the right acumen, but I can also assure anyone that is running or has aspirations to run a garden maintenance or landscape business, they will find rich rewards if they provide a service second to none.
One other thought. You might be struggling to make ends meet and you are terrified to raise prices in the fear of losing valued custom.
I remember having several long term clients who were reluctant to agree to a raise in the hourly rate. They enjoyed 20% discount on the main rate for no other reason than they were long standing clients.
I bit the bullet and raised their price and you know what? Not one client bulked and they all agreed to the new price. I was suddenly 20% bottom line richer.
The moral of the story and good solid advice is do not buy turnover at the cost of profit.
Further reading: Tips on finding gardening contracts. Picture: LewisHamilton.com
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